Kusari Inuzuka
|image = | birthdate = | age = | status = Deceased (will be revived) | gender = Female | height = 136 cm | weight = 41.5 kg | blood type = O | affiliation = | team = Team Raizo | partner = Suigyoku ( ) † Seigyoku ( ) † Ōgyoku Mami | clan = | family = Keshin Amanojaku (Lover) | rank = (formally) | classification = | academy = 11 | chunin = 13 | kekkei = | unique = Possesses the abilities of Ōgyoku | nature = | jutsu = Beast Human Clone Earth Release: Earth Spear Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique Earth Release: Ultra-Added-Weight Rock Technique Earth Release: Ultralight-Weight Rock Technique Fang Passing Fang Fang Rotating Fang Fang Wolf Fang Four Legs Technique Human Beast Combination Transformation: Double-Headed Wolf Inukai Takeru no Mikoto Passing Fang | tools = }} is a kunoichi previously hailed from 's . After accidentally killing her companion through the discovery of her , her supposedly all-loyal clan shunned her. Though her village attempted to redeem her, the grief of not only losing but being the one to end the life of her greatest comrade ate at her even as she trained to better her combat skills. The Inuzuka clan opposed it, but Kusari received another canine, which she named similarly to her first companion only for its fate to end the same as the previous, this one less an accident than the last. After much grieving, Kusari meets an , who possessed her unwilling body as punishment for the killing of two innocent canines. Through manic words, the two come to an agreement that Kusari was to contain the spirit that would then hold the souls of her past canine companions. The inugami was not kind, forcing Kusari into many cruel acts on humanity. After knowledge of this possession spread beyond Konoha, many feared her affiliations with the afterlife. Due to the inugami's possession, Kusari no longer required the use of live ninken and as such, cut off all remaining ties with her clan in return for mercenary deals. After an incident where her sensei attempted to take advantage of her, only to be stopped by Keshin Amanojaku — whom Kusari had become attached to — she would flee Konoha in order to pursue the curious boy. Her village labeled her a missing-nin after. Appearance Personality Kusari follows strict pack dynamics, deeming herself an alpha female. As such, she upholds an aggressive nature toward those threatening her status — those in her territory or attempting to pursue her mate — snarling and growling before displaying her physical strength if the threatening continues too long for her liking; given her impatience, she will attack quick. Such dynamics were originally taught by her mother and father, who, even upon banishment, Kusari looked up to above all else. Though some of the taught dynamics have remained, such as her only upholding a single alpha male and her stopping at nothing to please said alpha, the remainder of the dynamics have changed with time and understanding. In the past, Kusari would’ve left any mate who proved weak and seek a new stronger one. This has since become an abandoned thought ever since she experienced the curious emotion of love, something she only understood when she knew it was seemingly too late. Kusari has only found a handful of potential alphas, but only two have stuck out to her enough for her to attempt pursuit. Raizo was her first alpha, but for all the wrong reasons. Though Raizo was no doubt powerful and offered her the chance to have strong offspring, their relationship was built on the corrupt mentality Kusari's family instilled upon her; that the alpha male gets first pick on who they want to mate with. As the only female on the team, Kusari assumed she was his only choice and began to pursue him with the help of her first canine companion, who approved of and encouraged the relationship. It was only after the death of said companion and the banishment that Kusari took Suigyoku's words to heart and began to display not only physical affection but also verbal affection, which caught Raizo off guard but in the end, aided in her pursuit, as Raizo grew more responsive. However, once Kusari received another canine, Raizo turned cold once more, rarely offering kind words, unless Kusari truly impressed him, which the Inuzuka attempted as much as possible, as she deemed Raizo the only one worthy of her. She wanted nothing more than to please him and did so as she could. During the chūnin exams marked an especially important time, as Kusari began to take Raizo's dream of creating the ultimate sensor team to heart. Though she considered Keshin a possible pawn, Raizo didn't agree and claimed that in order for the two to share any intimacy, Kusari would need to avenge her defeated teammates and destroy the boy as it would give him assurance that she could take care of their future children. Despite her promise to do so, Kusari's bond with her second canine, Seigyoku, whom Kusari nearly killed in the match against Keshin, was far too strong to allow herself to continue fighting. This put a strain in their relationship, but after Ōgyoku possessed Kusari (and prior to finding out Ōgyoku killed kids), Raizo decided he wanted to claim Kusari, which she was at first more happy to do. However, when faced with actual intimacy at such a young age, Kusari grew uncomfortable and wanted to turn back despite her believing she needed to please the one she deemed her alpha. After Keshin challenged Raizo and finding out how much of a crook Raizo was, Kusari immediately grew reluctant considering to allow herself to mother the children of someone so terrible. It took the cruel words of Raizo claiming Kusari unworthy of giving him kids for it to really hit her, though. (TBC) Kusari's mateship with Keshin Amanojaku started out with a similar mentality as her previous one, but eventually evolved into something more than the need for a strong male to give her kids. (TBC) Though she never would've thought to call anyone her lover, after being saved by Keshin, she deemed him such. However, she still upholds few of the ways taught by her family, refusing to drop the titles of "alpha" and "mate". He is the only one Kusari has experienced intimacy with, and — as Kusari has stated — holds her will to exist in the palm of his hand. The two saved each other, and possess a multilayered love that has no bounds. Aside from her harsher canine ways, she has a far kinder, gentler side only shown when with Keshin — she considers herself his puppy. She enjoys cuddling and appreciates head scratches. She's willing to hunt and provide food for those of lower status so long as she gets first pick; she is very food aggressive and bites anyone who tries taking her food. When meeting someone new, she's timid and avoids eye contact, a stark comparison to her usual alpha female-self. Such a trait was inherited from her omega-like mother. This lasts a short while after meeting someone, as she grows bold fast. She has few views on those lower than her, not bothering to differentiate betas from omegas with the exception of Ōgyoku, who's her beta. When she was younger, she deemed her clan superiors as alphas, but abandoned such thoughts when banished. History As with every clan "killed off", there were survivors of the . With war on the horizon, those harboring the unique gift Shikotsumyaku grew in value to collectors and those preparing for combat. Those greedy enough auctioned off seemingly meaningless lives as mere weapons of war. Most harboring the title as "slave" or "collectible" killed their new owners and left to fight their own wars. Some, however, stayed behind to live a more peaceful, if not degrading, life. They existed in a protected world, passing on their genetics to whomever their owners deemed worthy of such. This became the daily task after the slaughtering of the Kaguya clan. Those of the clan spiked in price, infant males being especially valuable. With excessive breeding came muddled genetics and soon even the offspring with clear Kaguya heritage grew incapable of utilizing the clan's gift. So when a girl was born to Inuzuka clan with a father hailed from the misguided clan, few so much as hoped for her to activate even mediocre skills with her gift. As such, Kusari took her mother's surname. Upon turning four, Kusari was gifted a puppy, who she named Suigyoku. Such a gift came with the enrollment into the . Kusari took to the academy like a flame to water, both too shy and too aggressive for most of her teachers to handle. Despite this, she developed skills at an exceptional rate and grew to be too much for her classmates to handle when teamed with Suigyoku. Kusari had few to impress, and simply wished to improve alongside her canine companion. Due to her uncooperative nature with others, however, she was held back a number of years; more than necessary most claimed. Wowing her instructors one last time, she was granted the privileged to become a genin. 'The Inuzuka Vow' The day prior to genin squad announcements, her mother took her to the clan's canine burial ground, where she proclaimed her loyalty. Amidst the spirits of ninken long gone, Kusari spouted words that reached her very soul, words she knew she could and would keep until and beyond her death. Without a doubt in her mind, she and Suigyoku went to the academy the next day, where she was assigned alongside her male teammates: Reo Sada and Chikafusa Sarutobi. They were deemed the unlucky Team Four, all three working under the eye of the powerful jōnin Raizo Uozumi. The squad was beyond uncoordinated, having difficulty so much as impressing Raizo enough to allow them permanent access to geninhood. However, it wasn’t coordination Raizo sought, but rather the vastly differing skills of tracking and sensory development. With their vastly differing abilities, Kusari and her teammates passed and become official genin. Though their first several mission were anything but successful, through intense training and understanding of each other, they grew inseparable despite how little they actually got along outside of combat. This unbreakable bond allowed Kusari to eventually achieve and master the team technique of telepathy; a technique directly influenced by the ’s . Rather than using extensive training and chakra control, however, Kusari achieved this technique through personal and combatant understanding. This was no small feat, as Kusari lacked much of the social skills her teammates had, having opted to have a canine as her partner and chosen companion. So when she eventually came to understand, respect, and appreciate her teammates and sensei, the telepathic link clicked immediately. This respect was more so directed at her sensei, who she looked up to in several ways. Their bond grew uncomfortably personal when Kusari grew infatuated with Raizo, who was more than supportive of the budding puppy love Kusari gifted him. Kusari admired his skills and once puberty hit, she desired him as a mate. Their relationship never grazed beyond respect and admiration. They never shared physical contact beyond blows exchanged when training. This largely changed during the team’s first mission where they entered war grounds. ''Breaking Promises 'Chūnin Exams' 'Meeting The Inugami' 'The Everlasting Mission' 'Soul Left Untouched' 'Hellhound Begone' Abilities Hailed from the Inuzuka clan and the Kaguya clan, Kusari was subject to great potential, which most say she's not lived up to but also exceeded it. Due to poor genetics, her chakra reserves are little to write home about. Despite this, Kusari knows how to make the most out of her mediocre life force. Upon Ōgyoku possessing her, the inugami assisted Kusari, offering chakra when necessary, allowing Kusari to never psychically age or sustain any serious energies or scars within a certain criteria. Once Kusari sealed and tamed Mami, she could also use Mami’s energy. 'Physical Prowess' For as tiny as Kusari is, her physical strength matches that of even the strongest member of her disgraced clans. Her style consists of full-body blows rather than the use of punches and kicks, alongside the typical use of evasion. Her evasion skills matched with her incredible speed and reflexes allow her to avoid strikes sent her way. It’s only once in a while that she actually sustains damage due to her enhanced durability attained through her clan’s gift and intense training alongside the best members of her clan. 'Ninjutsu' Despite neither of her clan origins harboring an affinity toward ninjutsu, Kusari made no attempt to follow suit even prior to her betrayal. Nature Transformation Kusari's use of is purely of supplementary value. First harboring no affinity toward any one, Kusari was determined to learn and master as many as possible, but when it became apparent of how unnecessary such a skill would be on her, she opted to practice the most versatile of natures. . Such a decision proved well thought out. Due to her meek-looking statue, she often to her form to give her already hard strikes more power. For further surprise, she can of her target to make her moves all the more powerful. She does this through physical contact. She can use these techniques on her exposed bones as well, making her bones not only hard as steel, but also of great or light weight depending on the condition necessary. In addition, she can channel her chakra through a selected part of her body . This makes her skin nearly as hard as her . When applied to those bones, however, she's able to easily combat others wielding the same gift she has, capable of chipping and sometimes even shattering her opponents weaponized bones. After making use of Earth Release to aid in her defenses and to apply when in combat, Kusari needed a technique to escape when in a desperate enough situation. That technique was . Outside of the use of her canine spirits and clan , this proved to be her greatest, albeit, her least favorite asset. Despite going against her regular combat style of being up close and personal with her opponents, Kusari utilizes it to the best of her ability. Her usage of earth walking, the tunneling and traveling while underground, is superior to most that use the same or similar techniques. She can travel through the earth at the same speed she can naturally run above ground. She typically uses this technique when needing to evade large incoming attacks; she can burrow deep enough that nothing short of powerful Lightning Release attacks or Earth Release techniques that involve deep chasms can reach her; even then, she's can harden her skin to drastically up her defenses and/or lighten the crumbling earth around her far less impactful. Kenjutsu 'Inuzuka Clan Techniques' Kusari excels in the art of canine combination techniques, so long as her canine is sealed within her. Even when she was young, she never got along with other, especially not her canines despite her love for them. It wasn't a duo meant to last. Their timing would always be off, even when they were telepathically communicating. It was always a danger to the both of them should they have no choice but to work together in combination techniques. Kusari's two primary canines were killed due to this lack of coordination. After meeting with the inugami, however, that all changed as Kusari was forced to endure life with the previous canine companions sealed within her as if they were chakra monsters. It acted as both a blessing and a curse. Inugami Abilities Hellhound Capabilities 'Gōka' 'Kekkei Genkai' Shikotsumyaku'' Trivia